Clannad’s Moya Brennan has opened her heart about the abortion agony that has haunted her for more than 40 years and how she may have kept the baby if she’d had someone to talk to.

The 60-year-old is one of the few Irish women in the public eye who have admitted to having a termination.

She told the Irish Mirror.ie: “I think it’s really difficult. It’s such a personal thing. Myself, I wish I knew a little more about it before I went ahead and did it.

Moya becamel pregnant aged 19 when she lost her virginity to a French singer after a folk festival in Brittany.

She said: “The unfortunate thing is I went to England and did it, no one was going to stop me when I was young.

The Donegal singer, who has two grown-up children – Aisling and Paul – with husband Tim Jarvis, refused to be drawn on whether she is pro-choice or pro-life.

“She explained: “It’s difficult when the mother’s life is in danger. To say one should be allowed to do this or the other is giving your own opinion.

“I do understand it’s something we have in Ireland that we do stand up for, forget about the Catholic Church, morality itself is important.

“It’s difficult for me to stand up because being a witness in my own life it’s not a great example.

“If there were people that would have talked to me, if there was somewhere to go I might have done a different thing.

“No matter what comes in there should be a place where people can go and talk about it. That’s the most important thing.

“Counselling is really important.”

Moya was just 17 when she joined her two brothers Pol and Ciaran and their mother’s twin brothers Noel and Padraig O Dugain for the Clannad line-up.

She recorded 18 albums with the legendary band, including two with world-famous sister Enya, has won a Grammy, a Bafta, an Ivor Novello award and sold millions of records.

And she is now ready to take centre-stage again with the hitmakers.

The new offering, due out in September, will be Clannad’s first album of new material since 1998’s Grammy-winning Landmarks, and the first with the full original line-up since 1989’s Past Present.

Moya said: “It’s amazing the five members of Clannad back together, it’s 17 years since the last album but even at that one of my brothers had left in 1992.

“So this is the original line-up. It’s a real treat and we’re having a fantastic time.

“We’ve always kept close whether it’s charity events or playing at home with my dad. It was always there. But the five of us now in the studio is great. We’re having a ball, it’s like nothing has happened.

“The reason we decided to take a break was because we were 20 years non-stop. We took a break after our last album won a Grammy award. We didn’t want to do it for the sake of doing it.

“We never thought we’d take such a long break but it’s been good. We’re all falling into the same roles but it feels fresh.

“The album is very Clannad. It’s the old and the new combined.”

Clannad graduated to chart success in 1982 with the smash hit Theme from Harry’s Game and album Magical Ring.

Moya was at the forefront of the group’s success and her voice became synonymous with Irish music.

She affectionately became known as the First Lady of Celtic Music.

She laughed: “It’s a nice name. I’ve been in it long enough to earn it. I guess I was the first girl who travelled abroad from Ireland as a Celtic singer.

“The first tour we did in Germany, it was very male-orientated with The Furey Brothers. Ted Furey was the father and said, ‘Oh no we can’t have any women on tour’.

“We ended up being great friends but it was a sign of the times.”

During the height of Clannad’s success Moya’s life was slowly crumbling and she turned to booze, drugs and one-night stands. She revealed: “They were the times in the 70s everybody was out and about, flower power and the like, nobody was warning you against the evils of drugs.

“It was all rock ’n’ roll and partying. We definitely did that. It was quite dangerous in that way but thank God we came through unharmed. It’s a far more sobering enjoyment now.

“I wouldn’t as a singer be able to go out drinking, I just can’t do it at all anymore. I don’t drink that much anymore.”

The In A Lifetime hitmaker emerged from the dark years as a committed Christian with rekindled faith.

She’s also a philanthropist and goodwill ambassador for international charity Christian Blind Mission.

Moya also released seven solo albums and recently teamed up with musician Cormac De Barra for new album Affinity which is released today.

Cormac, who also hails from a highly-respected musical Irish family, is a renowned harpist and over the years he and Moya have forged a powerful musical relationship.

The pair are going on a mini tour – taking the singer to her hometown of Gweedore on June 22.

She said: “I love going up to Donegal. We’ve a small house beside my parents. Both my parents are still with us my father Leo is 87 and my mum Baba is 82. It’s still very much apart of me and my music and Clannad.”

Moya, the eldest of nine, claimed Clannad would never have made it so far if it wasn’t for the support of her folks.

She explained: “There was a time when being in the music industry, especially in Donegal, wasn’t a proper job.

Everyone would look at my dad and say, ‘Ah Leo your sons and daughters will get a job soon’.

“They supported us through thick and thin. It wasn’t easy at the beginning.”